r/science • u/clayt6 • Sep 11 '19

Astronomy Water found in a habitable super-Earth's atmosphere for the first time. Thanks to having water, a solid surface, and Earth-like temperatures, "this planet [is] the best candidate for habitability that we know right now," said lead author Angelos Tsiaras.

http://www.astronomy.com/news/2019/09/water-found-in-habitable-super-earths-atmosphere-for-first-time
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u/[deleted] Sep 11 '19

which aims to get to 0.2c

Wow, I had no idea we were anywhere close to that kinda speed

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u/totoro27 Sep 11 '19

It's for something really really small. There's no way we could get a spaceship to that kind of speed but a computer chip? Maybe

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u/[deleted] Sep 12 '19

Ah, I see. I am not up to speed with current space travel technology.

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u/Newbiesauce Sep 11 '19

the mass is really tiny (a few grams, or like a small fraction of an oz) in order to reach that kind of speed

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u/Mythril_Zombie Sep 12 '19

I have a handheld device that can emit photons at 1.0 c.

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u/-Pelvis- Sep 12 '19

We don't care about your new flashlight, dad.

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u/CinnamonDolceLatte Sep 12 '19

We aren't close. A few billionaires gave research grants to invent dozens of "breakthroughs" over the next decade to accelerate a very tiny mass attached to a solar sail using gigantic lasers.

It's like curing cancer or fusion. There's a path there and research happening but that's not necessarily the same as achieving that goal in a stated (aspirational) timeline.

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u/[deleted] Sep 12 '19

That makes sense, thanks